Noema: AI is coming for the meritocracy and the ladder of upward mobility
JoelNesv · reddit · 2026-10-19
A Reddit share of Noema Magazine's essay "The End of Upward Mobility" argues AI is eroding the meritocracy.
- The piece contends AI first automates entry-level white-collar work — historically the rung ordinary people climb to build skills and careers.
- With the bottom of the ladder removed, effort and talent no longer convert into advancement, hollowing out meritocracy's legitimacy.
- The artwork (a silhouette with a cocktail at sunset) frames it as a dusk of the old order.
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